Battle of the Stars
by Prince of all Saiyans
Summary: Many video game and anime stars awake to find they have been chosen as fighters in a tournament. What reason does the mysterious tournament master have for this tournament, and will his mischievous young "helpers" keep from ruining it all?
1. Default Chapter

Disclaimer: All characters represented in this fan fiction are property of their rightful owners, none of which include myself. My own characters may be self-evident. All other characters belong to the companies that have ownership over them, to which I am not an affiliate of any of them. Those groups of ownership may include X-Men, Marvel, Street Fighter, Mortal Kombat, Pokemon, Dragonball Z, Super Mario, Metroid, and WarCraft. May you all enjoy the story!  
  
BATTLE OF THE STARS  
  
Chapter 1: The Awakening  
  
It was the island of Bortmir, surrounded by the deep blue, salty waters of the powerful ocean in which it lie. The mighty waves of that ocean continued to roll into the looming cliffs which acted as a kind of shelter. Each wave broke against the cliffs as easily as bone on rock, splintering off into tiny shattered droplets which were re-consumed by the waters below. Pale moonlight squeezed through scattered clouds, descending onto the most noticeable structure on the island.  
  
It rose stories above the dying lands around it, closer to the center of the island than it could have been if it were purposely placed. Its magnificent walls overlooked the cold broken forest on one half of the island, as well as the barren ground which covered the rest. Its jagged peaks looked even more eerie as it bathed in the light of the moon.  
  
Many would say it was a mansion, others would call it a castle, if any were ever so lucky or cursed enough to find it. For this place held many secrets and powers which could be better left undisturbed. Yet it would be difficult to find what could be disturbed in this place. Even on a night like this, not a light breathed life throughout its whole expanse, not a sound could be heard from anywhere inside. In this place lay dark and dusty corridors, rooms left untouched for decades untold. Little more than the natural elements had taken any toll on this place, it seemed barren as the land before it. To peer into this place was to find nothing and have nothing find you back.  
  
Still this mattered not as the true life of this place remained deep beneath it. The top was an illusion, a facade, but below lay in hiding the real existence which held this place. It was here where one of the greatest events of time and space would take course, witnessed by a handful and un-noticed by all else.  
  
* * *  
  
It could have been the damp, cold air slithering against his skin that woke him, or perhaps the persistent glow of flickering lights that surrounded the place. Whatever it was, the young sandy-haired boy opened his eyes. The cold ground below him was used to push up to his feet. He slowly shook the grogginess from his head and let his eyes adjust. He pushed his sandy blond hair aside as he let his emerald eyes scan the area. Lamps on the wall…darkened hall leading away…bodies on the floor…the standing figure gazing at him from beneath an unusually tall, dark hood…bodies on the floor!  
  
He panicked, he felt his stomach grow sick and the blood drain from his face. He stumbled a step backward, his eyes bulging in fright. The standing figure caught his attention with a dark, unstoppable chuckle.  
  
"They're only asleep like you were." It spoke with a deep, raspy, male voice before another chuckle  
  
The boy's face turned to one of relief.  
  
"Wh-what are we doing here?" He inquired.  
  
"You will soon find out. I will return shortly."  
  
The hooded figure turned and left down one of the blackened hallways.   
  
The boy stood silently, his hand holding something tied to his belt. He carefully made his way over to a wall, then pressed his back against it. He kept his eyes open for any movement, sweat dripping down his forehead. Stale air greeted his nostrils. Then one by one he watched as each flickering lamp faded away into darkness. Soon they all had disappeared, leaving him and his fear alone in the unknown.  
  
It was but only a minute later, yet what seemed an eternity, when he heard something shuffling along the floor, followed by a moan.  
  
"What-a is a happening-a?" Someone asked in a thick Italian accent.  
  
"I don't know." Answered the boy from his darkened area.  
  
"Who-who-a said-a that?" The voice replied.  
  
It was then that a small hum was heard followed by a quick illumination of the room. Above them several electric powered white lights began to fill the room with their bright glow. The boy's eyes quickly found the source of the questions, who was rubbing his eyes from the sudden light.  
  
The source was a short, odd looking man. He held a red cap with a small white circle with a red 'M' in the center of it as he rubbed his eyes above his large doorknob type nose. A bushy black mustache lay beneath his nose, slightly upturned. He had dark hair as well. White gloves covered his hands and a long sleeved, red shirt covered his arms and chest. Over that were blue overalls and he had brown boots on his feet. He finished rubbing his eyes, blinking a couple of times as he placed his red cap back onto his head.  
  
"Who are-a you?" He asked the boy when he came into focus.  
  
"My name is Joe. How about you?" The boy replied.  
  
"Me? I'm-a Mario. Nice-a to meet you. What's going-a on here-a?" Mario asked, "Who are-a all of these people-a?"  
  
"I'm not sure." Joe replied looking around at the others, "I don't know much more than you. I just woke up a few minutes ago myself."  
  
"Oh-a." Mario blinked.  
  
"There was however, this guy…" Joe began but stopped as they watched another groaning person stumble onto his feet.  
  
The person looked around quietly for a second, then stared over at Mario, and then Joe. He wore a dark purple gi and a white cape. His hair was in a large curly black afro, and he also wore a thick mustache. A white belt held up his white pants, which in turn were tucked into long black boots.  
  
"Uh…I Hercule, the champion of the world, demand to know what's going on here!" He commanded in a loud arrogant voice.  
  
"We don't know-a." Mario responded.  
  
"Oh, well then!"  
  
Soon more people began shaking off their unconsciousness and getting onto their feet. The popular question "What's going on here?" seemed to escape everyone's lips as they awoke. However, a few remained quiet as they glared at the others, not sure what to think.  
  
From the ground arose a great assortment of people. Some were short, some were tall. Some wore body armor, others had green skin, and yet others were not even human. Two particular ones stared menacingly at each other as if they were ready to kill. They both appeared to be some kind of ninjas, one in black and yellow, the other wearing black and blue. The one in yellow had white, colorless eyes which sent shivers through Joe.  
  
Another two warriors quickly clasped hands in friendship as they asked themselves the ever popular question.  
  
"What's going on Ken? Where are we?"  
  
"I was hoping you could tell me Ryu." His friend replied.  
  
Joe glanced around at each and every person, letting his eyes and brain try to determine which each one was about. His eyes caught one man who stood tall and tanned. He was very muscular and had a head which seemed too small for his body. He had dark black hair.  
  
"Can you smell what The Rock is cooking?" He asked loudly.  
  
"You're gonna smell my fists if you don't stop asking that question!" Hercule glared at him.  
  
Joe let his eyes continue to scan the room, past costumed men, and onto one shirtless, brown-haired man which Mario was now talking to.  
  
"You're-a Bruce Lee-a! Please-a let me have-a your autograph-a!"  
  
"For the last time, I am not Bruce Lee!" The man yelled, "I am just studying his martial arts. My name is Fei Long."  
  
"Well you have to admit, you do look a lot like Bruce Lee." Ken grinned as he shouted over to Fei Long.  
  
"Hey, I know you!" Fei Long said as he left the dejected Mario behind.  
  
And then Joe spotted someone who put both a mix of fear and excitement into him. He began to shake as he tried to contemplate why this creature was here. He locked his eyes onto the silent and angry looking object. It stood around 6'7 tall, having demon like eyes, and a long thick tail which followed it. It had three suction cup like fingertips on each hand, and looked much like an upright beast of a cat. It was a Mew Two…the Mew Two!  
  
Joe's concentration and fixation on this Pokemon was soon snapped as he heard a loud, angry voice rise up.  
  
"I'm going to find out what the hell is going on here." The man in costume roared as he let three adamantium claws slip out of each hand.  
  
"That won't be necessary."  
  
Everyone turned their attention to the speaker. His tall black hood and long black robe concealed his identity. Joe recognized him instantly, he was the same man he had seen before.  
  
"I've decided to give you all some of the answers you've been seeking."  
  
"You better bub, or I'll rip the answers out of you." The clawed man said again.  
  
The hooded man sat there and laughed.  
  
"Your anger is great, I'll be looking forward to watching you fight. But let me warn you now. All of your superpowers will only work in my tournament ring. Out here if you attack me it will be strength versus strength, and I can assure you all that my strength is far superior."  
  
"Tournament?!" Many in the crowd began to stir.  
  
"Why don't we test that theory?" The angry clawed man spoke again.  
  
"Your little metal claws might be working Wolverine, but your self-healing powers aren't. I'd rather you save your energy for the ring, I want a good show."  
  
With that, the masked Wolverine charged the hooded master of the tournament. He rose his right arm, sending one quick swipe toward his hooded head. His claws passed through air and nothing else as he looked in amazement at the tournament master, now on the other side of the room. Some of the others seemed equally impressed.  
  
"I'll be back in a few minutes with the pairings." The hooded man said as he walked off.  
  
As the tournament master walked through the blackened corridor nearest to him, several grinding noises were heard from all around. Four stone doors slid down into place, blocking any exit from the room they were all in.  
  
"A tournament actually sounds like a good thing. What do you guys say? There seems to be some interesting characters here." Ken said to nearby Ryu and Fei Long.  
  
"A tournament! You hear-a that-a Joe?" Mario turned to face him.  
  
"Yeah, it actually sounds kind of exciting."  
  
"Don't you-a worry. These guys may-a be big, but I've beaten big guys before-a. I'm sure you can-a too if you try hard-a."  
  
"Oh, I'm not worried. I don't think that guy wants too see me fight. He wants to see someone else fight." Joe smiled as he tapped a white and red ball tied to his belt.  
  
"What's-a that?" Mario asked.  
  
"This is a pokeball." Joe replied.  
  
"What's in-a that pokeball-a?"  
  
"Well it's my best pokemon. It's called a…"  
  
Joe stopped as a booming voice was heard.  
  
"Stand back everybody. Hercule is going to break us out of here." Hercule said.  
  
He got in a fighting stance as he stared down the door. He began to hum as he concentrated. Everyone watched as thwack! Hercule punched the stone door with all his might. The stone door remained unscathed as Hercule's hand throbbed in pain. A tear came to the corner of his eye.  
  
"How thick is this stupid thing?" He thought as he tried to hold back his tear.  
  
He glanced around at everyone staring back at him.  
  
"Hahahahahaha! I'm just kidding! Just trying to lighten up the mood in here! Ahahahahaha!"  
  
No one responded as they all went back to doing whatever they were doing before. Hercule grabbed his swollen hand.  
  
A few more minutes passed when the tournament master walked back into the room. He looked over the now hushed crowd with his dark eyes, then spoke loud and clear.  
  
"Now then, I will read off the pairings. After I read these out, you will follow me to the tournament ring where the first fight will commence." His deep, raspy voice moved on, "The first fight…will be between Ryu and Mario. The second fight will be between Ken and Joe's pokemon. The next is between Sub-Zero and Samus Aran. Following that will be Scorpion versus Spiderman. After that is Fei Long against Wolverine. Then Hercule and The Rock will face each other."  
  
"Yeah, can you smell what The Rock is cooking?" The Rock interrupted.  
  
"Quiet now!" The hooded man barked, "The next fight will be between Medivh and Mew-Two. And the last fight will be Gul'dan versus The Flash."  
  
Many of the warriors glanced around, trying to figure out who their opponents were.  
  
"Now, follow me."  
  
The tournament master walked over to the very stone door Hercule had hit earlier and shattered it with one blow. Rock burst in every direction, clattering onto the cold ground. He led them over the fresh rubble, down the corridor, and into a large stone arena. The arena was about half the size of a hockey rink, and stretched hundreds of feet upward. Empty stone seats surrounded it, building dozens of rows to the top. The air inside was chill and damp, smelling slightly of mildew. A strange green light illuminated the entire place as well. The hooded tournament master led the party through the arena and to a set of five steps leading into a rectangular room. The room, made of stone as well, was large enough for all of the fighters to stand in and still have plenty of extra room. There were two large openings that provided perfect viewing spots for looking out into the arena. As all were gathered, the tournament master spoke again.  
  
"The rules are quite simple. You will fight until I declare a winner. I will declare a winner if your opponent is too exhausted to continue, falls off of the arena floor, loses consciousness, or I feel does not put up a worthy fight. There is no giving up. If you refuse to fight, as I doubt anyone of you seasoned fighters would, I will deal with you myself. Now that you all have the rules, let's begin. Ryu and Mario, you two fight first."  
  
The tournament master led the two fighters into the arena. He then took his own seat in the stands.  
  
"I'd-a rather race you on-a go karts." Mario told Ryu.  
  
Suddenly the green glow faded, replaced by strong yellow light. Both fighters could feel their powers return as they squared off for the first fight of the tournament. 


	2. Ryu VS Mario

Ryu VS Mario  
  
Ryu and Mario looked each other over. They had no idea what the other was capable of. Neither did many of the other warriors, as they all focused on the two who were about to fight. Even the most reserved of these warriors seemed interested in seeing what powers might be hiding inside of these opponents.  
  
They both basked in the strong yellow light which descended upon them, sizing each other up as the tournament master gazed at them from beneath his hood. Ryu certainly had the size advantage. He was taller than Mario and built. He wore a white gi with shredded sleeves and white pants which that matched. A black belt was tied around his waist and two red bands cradled his wrists. A white bandana was placed around his head, and brown hair topped it.  
  
Mario was the shorter warrior, greatly undersized, but he held a steely resolve. His fists clenched inside of his white gloves, his feet inside of his brown boots were planted on the cold stone floor. A long sleeved red shirt was tucked under his blue overalls. Mario also wore a red cap, with a white centered area having a red 'M' on it.  
  
Now the warriors were poised and ready, set in their fighting stances, watching and waiting for the other to make a move.  
  
Mario sighed long and deep. Ryu looked quizzically at his opponent, trying to figure out what he was thinking. It was then that Mario struck, sending fireball after fireball bouncing across the floor at Ryu. Ryu quickly somersaulted over the first two, but came down directly in the path of the third one. It struck him full force and Ryu hastily threw himself into a guarded defense as a fourth and fifth fireball slammed into him as well. Mario's large dark eyes eagerly scanned his opponent, looking for all signs of damage that might have just incurred. Ryu slowly lowered his arms and stared back at Mario, blinking twice.  
  
"That's it?" Ryu asked astonishingly, barely above a whisper.  
  
Mario watched as Ryu cracked a smile. He quickly glanced at the others. Ken and Fei Long had huge grins on their faces.  
  
"You're still a long way from developing a true fireball. Here, I'll show you." Ryu looked eager to show off.  
  
"Oh boy-a." Mario responded sarcastically.  
  
Ryu put his hands together, leaving an opening between his knuckles. A bright glow swallowed his hands. Then with a flash…  
  
"Hadoken!"  
  
A swirling ball of white and blue flame left Ryu's opened hands and came speeding in at Mario. There was little time to react, and Mario took the blow in full force. Mario was thrust to the ground by the incredible force and he landed hard on his back. The fireball dissipated and Ryu smirked.  
  
"Mama mia. That-a hurt!" Mario complained as he stood back up.  
  
Instantly Mario was met by Ryu's helicopter kick, a spinning airborne kick which hit Mario several times before the little plumber was knocked back to the ground. Mario struggled back onto his feet, a single tear dripping down his face. Ryu looked sympathetically at the undersized warrior. Another tear rolled down Mario's cheek.  
  
"I'm sorry. Haven't you ever fought before?" Ryu questioned.  
  
"No-a. I live in-a peaceful kingdom-a. Nothing bad ever happens-a there." Mario sobbed.  
  
"I had no idea. I'll tell you what." Ryu leaned close and whispered, "I'll just throw you out of the ring, that way you don't get hurt."  
  
"What did you-a say-a?" Mario replied through a choked voice.  
  
"I said," Ryu leaned in closer to make sure Mario could hear, "I'll just throw…"  
  
Ryu was caught by surprise as Mario launched his devastating uppercut flat on Ryu's chin. A loud ching was heard as the taller warrior was flung back into the air from the force, and landed soundly on the cold stone floor. Ryu quickly pushed himself up, his eyes greeted by the maliciously smiling Mario.  
  
"Peaceful kingdom, huh?" Ryu glared at Mario.  
  
"I only smash-a blocks with that attack-a." Mario grinned even more so.  
  
Ryu could feel warm blood trickling from his chin.  
  
"Now you're going to get it."  
  
Ryu charged the grinning plumber and Mario raced to meet him. They moved forward until it looked as though they would collide. Mario tightened his fist as he once again sprung upward with his uppercut punch. Boing! But Ryu had skid to a stop, narrowly avoiding the attack. Soon gravity had its way and Mario began falling back down toward the arena and the awaiting Ryu. Ryu gazed up at his foe, determination in his eyes.  
  
"Shoryuken!" Ryu yelled as he launched his own uppercut, the fearsome dragon punch.  
  
"Oh-a no-a." Mario's voice echoed as he was hit far back into the air.  
  
Joe and the others watched as Ryu's dragon punch sent Mario flying up and away from the arena floor. Mario then dropped from the sky like a crashing meteor, plummeting into the thin area of lower ground surrounding the arena floor.   
  
"Mama mia." Mario yelled before falling unconscious.  
  
"That's it!" The tournament master yelled from his seat, "Ryu has won the fight."  
  
Ryu looked up at the tournament master and then walked back to the waiting area. Two smaller hooded and cloaked figures came out of the adjacent area of the arena, where a similar waiting room was, and made their way to the fallen pipe unplugger. They stared down at him with curious eyes.  
  
"Man, he got beat up bad." One said in a childish voice.  
  
"Look at his mustache, it's weird." The other also had a childish voice, sounding slightly younger than the first, "And look at his nose, its huge!"  
  
"You two hurry up and get him to the recovery room." The tournament master barked his order over to them.  
  
"We better move him before your dad has a fit." The younger voice spoke.  
  
"Yeah no kidding, he's been grumpy lately. My mom says it's because…"  
  
"Now brats!" The voice commanded again.  
  
The two figures quickly grabbed Mario and disappeared into a room.  
  
"Finally." The hooded master said to himself, "Now, the next two warriors get out here." He directed his voice toward the waiting room underneath his position.  
  
Ken and Joe ascended the short steps to the arena floor. Ken looked over his young rival, seemingly a bit skeptical about his challenger. Joe returned a look of utter confidence as he felt along his belt, grabbing his pokeball. He slowly loosened it from his belt, holding it tightly in his right hand. Ken took his place at the opposite side of the arena, turning to face Joe again. Joe kept the ball tightly in his hand, sliding his thumb over it. His arm cocked back.   
  
"Now Posideus, I choose you!" 


	3. Ken VS Joe and ?

'Ken' VS 'Joe and "?"'  
  
Ken stood at the opposite side of the arena as the red and white pokeball sped through the air. He was a brash warrior, quick to take action, but this time he felt the need to slow himself down and survey the scene. His wild blond hair draped over the sides of his face and fell into a small pony-tail behind him. His red gi was adorned in a belt of blue, his wrists hugged by yellow bands. He stared curiously at the ball which now was falling to the ground. Was it a weapon? Ken quickly got into a defensive position. The ball seemed almost to fly open as a polished blur began to materialize, now free from its home, or prison. Ken took a step back as his eyes contemplated this apparent apparition, which was now solidly forming in front of him. Even the tournament master, hooded in his own mystery and power, seemed to be curiously gazing at the skeptical.  
  
Within a moment's time, this faded figure soon took its solid form in front of Ken, a sight which sucked the breath of those who witnessed it, with the exception of the smug smile which had crept onto Joe's face.  
  
The creature that had emerged from this ball rose 21 feet in height, with a body that trailed it for ages. It was a sea serpent, stained aqua blue with a pale, yellow underbelly. Jagged white fins, tinted in that same blue, jutted out from amongst its body in a pattern which slid from his head to his flippered tail. His black eyes locked menacingly onto Ken, four sharp fangs protruding from a rectangle of spots, two long catfish like 'whiskers' hung lazily to either side of its face. Ken swallowed hard as he fearfully stared at an obstacle he had never faced nor contemplated. The pokemon, known as a gyarados, playfully slapped the pokeball back toward Joe, making it slide across stone and into Joe's foot. Joe stooped down, picking the ball up.  
  
"Thanks Posideus."  
  
Instantly the menacing look became one of love and affection, aimed straight at Joe. Yet it was hard for anyone but Joe to notice this, as even in its most cheerful pose, the gyarados looked threateningly dangerous. The gyarados then turned his attention back to Ken, that same menacing glare returning to his face. Ken was noticeably pale.  
  
"Composure…get composure now Ken." Ken thought.  
  
Ken stood firmly in his defensive stance. He clenched his teeth as he looked upon the enormous beast.  
  
"All right big guy, let's see what you got." Ken said as he managed to take a step forward.  
  
"Mist!" Yelled Joe to his pokemon.  
  
At the moment of command the serpent caused a cold haze of raindrops to fill the arena. Ken peered through the haze, still able to see the form of his monstrous opponent. Ken shivered. He wanted to attack, but he just couldn't. He held his defensive position as Joe watched carefully.  
  
"Again Posideus, Mist!" Joe directed.  
  
Another sheet of rainy fog filled the air and created an even more difficult scene to view. Ken peered through the mist, barely able to make out the outline of the hulking monster.  
  
"No. He's forcing me to defend. This thing has me all shaken. He's taking me away from my natural style, I have to attack before I lose him in this stuff. I have to attack him now!" Ken thought as his fists tightened.  
  
Ken's hands came together at the palms, his bent fingers having space between their opposites. A bright glow splashed around his hands as he let his chi flow outward to his palms. Beams of light escaped from his fingers as he squinted toward the partially concealed gyarados.  
  
"Hadoken!" He yelled, mirroring the attack he had learned with his friend Ryu.  
  
A ball of speeding fire bolted straight toward the pokemon, and the quick thinking Joe hollered his next command.  
  
"Hydro Pump, now Posideus."  
  
In an instant Posideus launched thick geysers of icy water toward Ken, which first depleted the fireball into steam, and then found its way to the blond-headed warrior, slamming him with the force of a fire hose.  
  
Ken stumbled backward as he threw his arms up to protect his face.  
  
"No way!" Someone gasped from the waiting room.  
  
A small pair of eyes peered over the side of the floor, soon followed by another.  
  
"That dinosaur is so cool!" The first miniature, hooded figure exclaimed.  
  
"That's not a dinosaur dummy!" The second responded.  
  
"Yes it is!"  
  
"No it's not!"  
  
"Oh yeah? Then what is it?!" The first asked in defiance of his reasoning.  
  
"It's…uh…well it's kind of like a…er…hey look! I think it's going to attack again." The second figure distracted.  
  
Both hooded figures continued to watch the action.  
  
From the waiting room, several pairs of eyes followed the action as well. It was hard for many to see the gyarados through the mist, despite its gigantic size. Yet some of these warriors seemed to follow both fighters with ease. Ken was easier to spot though. He was uncharacteristically timid and defensive. Fear of this beast seemed to be seizing his body. Ryu and Fei Long in particular noticed how Ken had been thrown off of his element.  
  
It was then that Ryu felt it, the feeling of eyes staring coldly at him. He turned to find the blue and black clad ninja known as Sub-Zero giving him a steely look. Ryu returned the stare, then turned to watch his friend's battle.  
  
The mist technique had worked well, swallowing the gyarados in a thick, rainy fog. Ken tried to keep his eyes on the monster, but was having a hard time of it.  
  
"I wish I was out there!" Hercule stated to the fighters around him, "I'd whoop that monster good. Why he doesn't look so tough. Just a bunch of fancy water tricks! Haha! I would send that Posideus thing home with my fists."  
  
Thirteen pairs of eyes all rolled at once.  
  
"Okay, let's finish him off Posideus." Joe yelled in enthusiasm.  
  
"Now what?" Ken asked himself as he clenched his teeth.  
  
He could slightly make out the sound of the pokemon's own enthusiastic snort.  
  
"Posideus, Hyper Beam!" Joe requested the catastrophic move from his pokemon.  
  
The towering sea serpent immediately complied with his master's wish, drawing in power for this next attack. A bright glow began dancing around the gyarados as it concentrated on filling its body with energy.  
  
This move seemed to have two weaknesses that Ken caught onto right away. The first weakness was that the now glowing serpent was more easily viewed through the fog. The latter was the beast's concentration on absorbing energy, leaving it open to attack. Without another moment's hesitation, Ken made his move.  
  
He raced toward the luminous creature, fury in his eyes, a hope, a glimmer, to strike his opponent down. He stopped underneath the monster, gulping once before clenching his fists.  
  
"Shoryuken!"  
  
Ken's body sprung up as his dragonpunch came into action. As he flew up in his attack, his chi exploded through his leading fist, setting it aflame.   
  
The strike was perfect as Ken's flaming fist hit the giant water snake underneath its mouth. The great gyarados yelled in pain and frustration, but kept its body steady as the stone beneath them, its mind still focused on gathering energy. Ken came plummeting down, landing on his feet.  
  
"Shoryuken!"  
  
Again Ken sprung up with his attack and again he dealt a direct blow. The water logged sea serpent once again took the fiery fisted attack with a sharp roar but a maintained focus.  
  
Ken himself was frustrated. His flaming dragonpunch had set many opponents on fire, if even for a short moment their body would be engulfed in flame and they would feel the true effect of Ken's chi. Yet this water demon was different, it weathered such fire attacks and kept its composure. The persistent Ken would not let this deter him however.  
  
"Shoryuken!"  
  
For the third time Ken ascended in his signature uppercut, flying up toward the monster's head with great speed and force. His fist inched toward his target. The beast quickly slung its head back, making Ken's attack miss. Ken reached his peak, then began his decent back to the ground. But as the karate master fell back toward the arena floor, the mighty gyarados released its gathered energy. A beam of pure power protruded from its mouth and careened directly into Ken. The force was indefensible, crashing into Ken's ribs and sending him flying under its pressure. His body was slammed into the stands, another victim of the 'out of the ring' rule.  
  
The hooded tournament master stood up this time, staring at the delighted Joe.  
  
"Joe and his pokemon win, Ken loses!" He yelled so he would be audible to everyone.  
  
"Good job Posideus." Joe complimented his pokemon.  
  
The gyarados almost seemed to smile as Joe recalled it back to its pokeball and exited the arena floor.  
  
The two small hooded figures ran over to the defeated Ken. He seemed dazed, but was not quite unconscious. They grabbed his head and feet, and Ken winced in pain.  
  
"Hey, do you think your grandpa has one of those dinosaurs?" The smaller one asked his counterpart as they carried Ken off.  
  
"I don't think so. I think I would have noticed it by now if he did."  
  
"Oh, that would be so cool if he did."  
  
The two little helpers disappeared around the corner. The ring was now open for the next two opponents. 


End file.
